‘It ain’t changing’ Christopher Luxon hoses down ‘conversation’ on altering nuclear policy
Christopher Luxon says the country's nuclear-free policy is one of the best things New Zealand has done. Photo / Michael Craig
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has hosed down talk of a “conversation” about changing New Zealand’s nuclear free policy, describing it as “one of the best things” the country had done.
“I’m really proud of our nuclear free position and it ain’t changing while I’m prime minister – period,” Luxon said.
Speaking to the Mike Hosking Breakfast on Newstalk ZB, Luxon said the Government was going to “maintain our nuclear free position”.
Defence Minister Chris Penk, speaking at the Shangri–La Dialogue, a security conference, in Singapore last week, told international media outlet Bloomberg it would be helpful to have a “conversation” about how nuclear propulsion is different to nuclear weapons for the purposes of New Zealand’s nuclear free position.
Currently, nuclear propelled ships are banned from New Zealand waters.
Eventually, under the Aukus submarine pact, Australia will acquire nuclear propelled submarines, which would be banned from New Zealand waters – this could lead to friction as Australia is New Zealand’s only formal ally.
“Essentially, we’ve got a longstanding position. It’s across the political spectrum. All New Zealanders feel very strongly about the nuclear free position,” Luxon said.
Asked by host Heather du Plessis–Allan whether the position was “one of the nuttiest” things that New Zealand had done, Luxon disagreed, saying “it’s one of the best things” the country had achieved.
Also at the conference, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth accused New Zealand – among other nations – of “freeloading” off the US in terms of defence spending.
New Zealand will lift defence spending to 2% of GDP over eight years, by one measure, a benchmark once used by Nato countries, although the United States has now called for allied and like–minded countries to target 3.5% of GDP.
Luxon denied New Zealand was freeloading.
“We choose our defence spending, no one else does that,” Luxon said.
Penk clarified his comments on Ryan Bridge TODAY.
He said there was no “official or unofficial conversation about changing” the nuclear free policy.
“The conversation I was saying we need to have is what defence looks like for us and our region in the wake of Australia acquiring nuclear submarines. It wasn’t that our nuclear policy should change,” he said.
“I was very upfront about that,” he said.